Washington [USA]— U.S. President Donald Trump triggered controversy on Monday after making unusually sharp remarks about Colombia during a brief interaction with reporters, prompting concerns over Washington’s tone toward one of its long-standing allies in Latin America.
During the exchange, Trump described Colombia as being “run by a sick man” and added that the country’s current leadership “won’t be doing it for very long.” When asked by a reporter whether his comment hinted at a possible U.S. operation in Colombia, Trump replied, “Sounds good to me.” The remarks, made without further clarification or policy context, immediately sparked speculation and criticism.
Colombia has traditionally been a close partner of the United States, particularly in counter-narcotics efforts, regional security cooperation and economic ties. Trump’s comments were therefore seen as a significant departure from established diplomatic language.
Reacting to the remarks, Colombian President Gustavo Petro called on Latin American nations to unite against what he described as aggression from the United States. In a strongly worded post on social media platform X, Petro accused the U.S. of historically bombing a South American capital and said such actions would not be forgotten by future generations.
Petro argued that revenge was not the answer, warning that vendetta-driven politics only destroys societies from within. He stressed that Latin America must rethink its global partnerships and warned that without unity, the region would continue to be treated as subordinate on the world stage. He also questioned the effectiveness of existing regional groupings and urged Latin American leaders to come together independently.
Petro further stated that alliances with global powers such as China and Russia had not yielded results, insisting that Latin America’s priority must be solidarity within the region itself. “Friends do not bomb,” he said, drawing parallels with historic acts of aggression in Europe.
Meanwhile, Trump also took aim at Cuba during a separate interaction with reporters aboard Air Force One. He claimed that Cuba was close to economic collapse and suggested that a U.S. operation similar to actions taken elsewhere would not be necessary. According to Trump, Cuba’s economy had been heavily dependent on Venezuelan oil supplies and lacked the income to sustain itself.
The comments have added to growing diplomatic tensions between Washington and several Latin American governments, with analysts warning that such rhetoric could strain regional relations further in the coming months.
